Dawn had barely broken, yet the training grounds were already packed.
At the center stood two figures draped in white coats of justice, facing each other.
"I didn't expect Branch 157 to have so many people," Hina murmured as she swept her gaze across the crowd.
She was genuinely surprised.
Good heavens—there were hundreds of them!
Two-thirds wore standard Marine uniforms.
The remaining third, although not in regulation attire, still wore coordinated outfits—some in white lab coats, others in gray workwear.
"This many still isn't enough to reach my goal..."
Luo Lan shook his head.
He wasn't being arrogant—he genuinely thought so.
In terms of both strength and numbers, the branch was lacking. Especially when it came to powerhouses.
Among them, only Ace was close to entering the superhuman realm, with a Doriki (combat power) value nearing 500.
Beyond him, the strongest were Luo Lan and Ian—but even their Doriki trailed far behind Ace. At best, they were equivalent to trainee CP9 agents.
Of course, Doriki wasn't everything—it was merely a measure of one's physical baseline.
Take Luo Lan versus Ace, for example: Luo Lan's Doriki was significantly lower, but in an unrestricted one-on-one duel, Ace wouldn't stand a chance.
The title of "Gun God of the Navy" wasn't for show.
With Casull and Jackal in hand, Ace couldn't even get close. If he lasted a full minute without losing, that would already be a feat.
At that moment, Casull and Jackal were already in Luo Lan's hands.
Hina, though, didn't seem to mind.
So what if the guns looked futuristic?
To her, a firearm was still a firearm—no matter how stylish the design, it couldn't change its fundamental limitations.
"This battle," she thought, "will be over in seconds. Then, I'll drag Luo Lan to the Fleet Admiral for punishment."
She pulled her glove tighter with her teeth—her signature move before combat, and one that was undeniably charming.
"Not planning to take the gloves off?" Luo Lan asked.
"No need," Hina replied coolly.
They had known each other since training under Zephyr in the elite program. Luo Lan was intimately familiar with the Bind-Bind Fruit and even knew some details not revealed in the original records.
Like why Hina always wore gloves.
Still, to Hina, Luo Laan was the same weakling with a Doriki of 5—someone who posed no threat. With just two pistols? No need to remove her gloves. Not even worth using her Devil Fruit ability.
"If you lose, don't try to deny it," he warned.
"Hmph, who do you think I am?" she huffed.
"Alright then. Let's begin," Luo Lan nodded.
To be honest, he wasn't confident he could beat her. If Hina didn't underestimate him and went all-out with her powers, he'd stand no chance.
A year ago, her Doriki had already surpassed 700. Unlike Ace, she had years of real battle experience...
But that's only if she takes him seriously.
In the next moment, Hina vanished.
With the naked eye alone, Luo Lan couldn't keep up. She was simply gone.
Casull and Jackal—one black, one white—were already raised.
Luo Lan even closed his eyes.
Then—
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Three rapid shots.
One of the bullets grazed Hina's cheek.
Or rather—it would've been a headshot if she hadn't instinctively tilted her head at the last second.
Startled, Hina thought it was just dumb luck.
After all, Luo Lan had fired before she even reached her position. And he shot in three different directions, which meant—he didn't see her.
He was guessing.
And he guessed right.
She charged again, vanishing from Luo Lan's right.
This time, Luo Lan didn't react.
"It's over."
Her speed created a lingering afterimage as she reappeared, gloved fist already swinging toward Luo Lan's face.
But then—
She punched nothing.
His body vanished like mist.
She stumbled forward, caught off guard.
Before she could react, an arm looped around her from behind, locking her in place.
A cold sensation pressed against her temple—a gun barrel.
"Big sis Hina, you lost," Luo Lan whispered.
"Your body…"
"Yes. The issue with my body was resolved—a month ago," Luo Lan admitted.
Hina's eyes widened.
"You fixed your body and didn't tell me?"
She was furious.
Did he know how worried she had been this past year?
With a Doriki of 5, he could've died to any random pirate gang. And now she finds out he recovered a month ago?
Her face flushed with anger.
Feeling the heat from her glare, Luo Lan quickly let go.
"You're right to be mad. I'm sorry for not telling you. But…"
He stepped back, his expression serious.
"The duel's outcome stands. You lost."
"Hmph. If you hadn't hidden the truth, you think I'd be stupid enough not to use my Devil Fruit or prepare for Soru?" she snapped.
"And you—you actually fired at me! At that range, if I hadn't reacted fast enough… were you really ready to kill me?!"
She was still fuming.
Luo Lan gave a sheepish laugh, then removed the magazine and handed it over.
"What's this? The bullets... these don't look normal."
"Wait—these aren't real?"
Hina picked one up.
The bullet was strangely shaped—not the lead balls she was used to. It wasn't even metal. She pressed it with a finger, and it gave way.
"Right. They're not real. I had them custom-made last night—rubber bullets. For someone with enhanced physique, even a headshot would only leave a bruise."
"I see…"
Her expression softened.
"One month. You've got one month!"
"And someone get me a place to stay!"
She threw her justice coat back over her shoulders and walked off with commanding presence.